I have used oxalic acid to clean rust stains from mineral samples - usually
silicates and oxides.  Both of those groups are GENERALLY insoluble in MOST
acids.  Usually, calcium carbonate with any acid is not a good combination
for the carbonate, neither calcite nor aragonite.  I have found rust to be
nearly impossible to remove since it many times is IN the shell as well as
on it.

I guess it depends on how you look at it.  A taxonomist might feel that the
rust stain is a characteristic of the shells found on Cedar Key and is an
important feature that illustrates the variation within the species and
won't expend much effort, if any, to remove the stain.

On the other hand, if aesthetics is most important to the collector, one
might not be as concerned with the location as with the appearance.  Given
the difficulty of stain removal, one might better expend his time at another
location.

Are the shells of other species found there on Cedar Key stained, too?

-----Original Message-----
From: Bev Dolezal [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 7:53 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Cleaning Angel Wings

Just got back from a shelling trip to Cedar Key, Florida where a number of
us dug for angel wings.  The specimens we brought back seem to have a rust
color on their exteriors and  even after days of bleaching (and with
changing the solution each day) none among the 6 collectors can get a pure
white exterior.  Any ideas on how to get rid of this rust coloration?
Bev - Clearwater

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